Review of “Misery Winter” by Noah James Mass

Noah James Mass' debut single Misery Winter is quiet for a tale that is pressing so much, but that's what makes you listen first. The guitars are clean and bright, but there's something deeper underneath them.

That's the secret behind the song. Even though the words are about going round and round the block, wanting to leave and never getting there, Mass sings smoothly and steadily. His voice stays clear and calm. It just continues on, and the hurt feels even more intense when it is silent and calm.

The drums don't let up either. From the beginning, they have a steady tempo, and that tempo remains firm even though the lyrics get darker. I kept expecting the song to get slower and sadder, but it never does. It simply continues to walk, like the beat is the one thing that keeps him moving.

It's also a little raw in the recording, not too clean and shiny. The instruments have a natural room character, with an analogue feel. That is the choice that adds authenticity to the song rather than dressing it up.

What I remember best about the song is the going numb. He's picking, picking, picking it up, he keeps picking it up, almost on purpose, but it's not the end of the world. There's no pause or slowing down to match that numbness, and that difference gives a better sense of being stuck than a slow, sad song.

The second half is even quicker. He keeps his beat going, his guitars stay with him, and his voice stays steady till the end. Everything holds together. The music keeps going as the words become heavier, and that makes the feeling of the song even stronger.

Misery Winter is a song that shows Noah James Mass at his best when he works this way. It feels as if it's moving forward all the way along, and only when it comes to a halt do you realise how much he has stayed on the same track, turning around and starting over. The song continues to march. He doesn't.